User menu

Search form

Main menu

Public hearing outlines drainage project grant

Thu, 03/14/2019 - 12:00am

Pam Lowe

NEA Intermodal Authority, Executive Director, Graycen Bigger presented a compelling proposal for a drainage project at a public hearing held at City Hall on Monday evening. Bigger told the full house that she ran across a grant from the Arkansas Economic Development Commission that comes around once a year called Community Development Block Grant. “Corning makes the limit; the population has to be under 50,000. And then it has low or moderate income community of over 51 percent,” Bigger explained. “Corning hits that at 51.8 percent. So you just skimmed it, which is great because it opens you up to a lot of different grant opportunities through the state.” This particular grant can be used for several different things. “It’s up to $200,000 and one of those things was storm water; was drainage.

Bigger shared that the grant would be administrated by East Arkansas Planning and Development District who will write the grant and administer it. She said there aren’t many downsides to the community because there’s no fiscal match required. She added that in this particular instance, community involvement counts for a lot and the fact that the city has purchased some materials that would help with the drainage situation, is a nice bonus.